1 of 1
Story summary
- JD.com founder Richard Liu announced at the 2026 APEC China CEO Forum in Beijing on June 21 that robots will replace JD.com’s 700,000 delivery workers.
- He said JD.com has deals with 120 schools to retrain the displaced couriers for robot-maintenance positions.
- Analysts warn rapid automation could worsen youth unemployment in China, as gig workers rose from 200 million to 320 million in 2026 according to the China Center for New Employment Forms.
